Understanding the University of Denver's GPA Expectations for Admission

Founded in 1864, the University of Denver (DU) stands as the oldest private university in the Rocky Mountain Region. DU confers bachelor’s degrees in over 100 academic fields of study and every major enables students to take courses across different subjects. With a rich history and a commitment to providing a well-rounded education, DU attracts a diverse pool of applicants each year. For prospective students, understanding the university's academic expectations, particularly the average GPA of admitted students, is crucial for gauging their admission chances.

Academic Excellence at DU

The University of Denver is dedicated to the public good and committed to every student's holistic development. It provides students with a multitude of opportunities to build the skills, knowledge, and perspective they need to thrive in an ever-changing world and to create real, lasting change. This is the Four-Dimensional Experience, and it means they invest in every dimension of their students' growth; they ignite academic excellence, foster exceptional character, architect powerful career readiness and nurture whole-body well-being. DU's quarter system allows students to easily pursue multiple majors and minors across disciplines, and with over 100 areas of study to choose from, students have a lot of opportunities to personalize their education! Small classes taught by professors who are leaders in their field and a focus on real-world experiences like internships, cutting-edge research, study abroad and service-learning help students build the foundations needed to create the kinds of lives and careers that lead to big impacts and positive changes.

GPA as a Key Admission Factor

Academic performance in high school is the most important factor in our admission process. However, we are a test-optional university, and submitting test scores is your choice. If you choose to submit your SAT and/or ACT scores, they will be considered along with your other application materials for both admission and merit scholarships. DU will accept either the SAT or the ACT.

While DU overall doesn’t require entrance exams, the requirements for specific programs can vary. Standardized Test Scores: While DU overall doesn’t require entrance exams, the requirements for specific programs can vary.

The University of Denver is generally considered to be moderately selective. The middle 50% high school GPA ranges of the admitted freshman class at University of Denver are as follows:

Weighted GPA: 3.73-4.00
Unweighted GPA: 3.56-3.94

These ranges mean that you'll need a mix of A's and B's to maximize your chances of getting in.

The average GPA at University of Denver is 3.76. requires you to be above average in your high school class. You'll need a mix of A's and B's, with a leaning toward A's. If you're a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change from this point on. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.76, you'll need a higher SAT score to compensate and show that you're prepared to take on college academics.

This indicates that successful applicants typically have a strong academic record with mostly A's and B's. A GPA within or above these ranges significantly improves a student's chances of admission.

Holistic Review Process

Overall, our committee takes a holistic approach in considering a number of factors when shaping our class each year. While academic success is the main factor in our admission decisions, we also carefully consider institutional goals and priorities. For example, to remain within our financial aid budget, and to ensure students have the financial support necessary to enroll and graduate, we are “need-aware” with some decisions (we consider a family’s ability to pay, and our ability to properly fund a student).

Additionally, we sometimes consider a student’s level of interest in DU, and their overall likelihood to enroll, helping our team more accurately shape and plan for a complete incoming class.

Read also: History of the Block 'M'

DU uses a holistic review process when evaluating applicants. We are test-optional and use the Common Application, which requires students to submit their high school transcript(s), complete a personal essay, provide a counselor recommendation, and pay a $65 application fee to send the application to us.

However, remember GPA isn't the only factor colleges consider during admissions. They also take a look at your course rigor, extracurricular activities, letters of recommendation, and essays. Why not share your involvement in the other aspects of your application? admissions questions.

We also want to know who you are outside the classroom. Our students are diversely talented and find ways to contribute outside of academia, whether it’s through sports, the arts, community service, employment or student government. We want to know you’ll do more than just attend your classes. We want you getting involved across campus and in the community.

We place great value on your essays and letters of recommendation, as well as your record of extracurricular activities. This helps us learn how you can make a difference during your time at DU.

As an option, we welcome you to submit a ZeeMee profile (a free service designed to help students bring your application to life by highlighting your personal story via photos, videos and text). What are University of Denver's admission requirements? If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. The acceptance rate at University of Denver is 77.3%. lightly selective. The school will have their expected requirements for GPA and SAT/ACT scores. If you meet their requirements, you're almost certain to get an offer of admission. The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. requires you to be above average in your high school class. You'll need at least a mix of A's and B's, with more A's than B's. You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes. If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.76, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

Standardized Test Scores: An Optional Consideration

University of Denver hasn't explicitly named a policy on SAT/ACT requirements, but because it's published average SAT or ACT scores (we'll cover this next), it's likely test flexible. Typically, these schools say, "if you feel your SAT or ACT score represents you well as a student, submit them. Despite this policy, the truth is that most students still take the SAT or ACT, and most applicants to University of Denver will submit their scores. If you don't submit scores, you'll have one fewer dimension to show that you're worthy of being admitted, compared to other students. Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement.

If you choose to submit your SAT and/or ACT scores, they will be considered along with your other application materials for both admission and merit scholarships. DU will accept either the SAT or the ACT. SAT Code: 4842 and ACT Code: 0534.We do not consider subject test or writing sections.

Some statistics for reference:

Average combined SAT score for students accepted for Fall 2025: 1310. Middle 50%: 1230-1410.
Average ACT score for students accepted for Fall 2025: 30.

If you are a student attending a non-graded high school that does not provide a letter or numerical grade, you are required to submit official ACT or SAT scores with your application.

If you’ve taken either test more than once, we’ll combine the best scores from the individual sections of each test to create an ideal “super score.”

What to Do If Your GPA Is Below Average

If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.76, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate.

You can compensate for a lower GPA with harder classes, like AP or IB classes. If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.76, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate.

To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 28 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). However, in our research, we found that University of Denver does in fact offer an ACT superscore policy.

Beyond Academics: Showcasing Your Strengths

We place great value on your essays and letters of recommendation, as well as your record of extracurricular activities. This helps us learn how you can make a difference during your time at DU.

Here's our custom admissions calculator. Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances.

Campus Life and Student Experience

DU is proud of our geographically diverse population of students who are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive community. Each incoming class of students represents over 850 high schools, meaning students have lots of opportunities to make new friends while pursuing their interests. DU boasts over 100 student-run organizations and many long-standing campus traditions, such as Winter Carnival and May Days. From backpacking to board games, science to spirituality, finance to Fraternity & Sorority Life, club sports, arts, honor societies and so much more, there's an amazing array of opportunities to get involved. We also have 18 Division I athletic programs, and students love to cheer on our ten-time national championship-winning men's hockey team. Students can also participate in 40+ club and intramural sports. DU's Cultural Center provides identity-based student programming, annual cultural signature events, and leadership opportunities and support for students of color as well as gender diverse students. We do this through campus-wide partnerships, student-led initiatives, and being a central place to help students envision what their student experience should be like. DU offers "a really strong sense of community and lots of incredible academic talent." One student describes the community as the "perfect size in my opinion-small enough to see familiar faces, but large enough to meet new ones." It's a "very outdoorsy" and social environment where students "love to interact, whether that's through clubs and organizations, on-campus jobs, or just hanging out at coffee shops."

Financial Aid and Affordability

DU offers aid in two forms: need-based aid and merit scholarships. To apply for need-based aid, students must complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Merit scholarships are awarded upon acceptance into DU and range from $16,000 to $33,000 each year, up to four years.

Total Needs Based Scholarships/Grants Total amount of grant or scholarship aid awarded to all undergraduates from the federal government, state/local government, the institution, and other sources known to the institution. $102,979,728

Total Non-Need-Based Scholarships/Grants$84,084,215

Average Net Price:$38,322

Preparing for Success at DU

DU emphasizes experiential learning and community involvement to help students find a sense of purpose and build a foundation for an impactful life. We provide abundant study abroad opportunities (over 100 programs) to broaden students' perspectives and elevate global understanding. Whether it be a ski trip with our Alpine Club, an internship downtown, R1 research in one of our labs, or a shadowing experience at a nearby hospital, DU encourages students to engage with others and build a professional network that extends well beyond campus. Students enjoy "the natural beauty surrounding our campus" and swear by the location's scenery. Skiing and snowboarding are popular activities during the winter, and the Kennedy Mountain Campus "allows students to spend time hiking and rock climbing during the weekends." Beyond outdoor recreation, a wide array of extracurriculars reflect the varied interests of the student body, including the student newspaper and the undergraduate research journal as well as organizations like the Society of Physics Students and Divest DU, a "student organization dedicated to pushing the board to divest from fossil fuels." For a lot of students, athletics is a big part of daily life, whether it's playing sports or attending events. "Rugby is super popular and club sports are huge." And, as one student emphatically responds, "Don't forget our love of hockey!" Greek life is also popular, but students say, "it definitely does not dominate social life." As one student explains, "Everyone has their own interests, and they can usually find someone else who shares it with them, so community is built around that.

Life After Graduation

By and large, undergrads at University of Denver are confident in their post-graduation job prospects (The school reports that 90 percent of alumni have jobs and/or are enrolled in graduate school six months following graduation .) And many students happily report that there are “countless opportunities for internships.” This sunny outlook can certainly be attributed to the tireless efforts of DU’s career services office. For starters, the office hosts multiple fairs throughout the academic year, including an innovative reverse career fair where students set up tables and employers circulate the room to share their job opportunities. Moreover, the office recently launched AlumniFire, which helps current students connect with Denver alums.

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